Garden tool



Dec. 13,1927. 1,652,478

' A. HERMAN v GARDEN TOOL Filed Nov. 21, 1925 Patented Dec. 13, 1927.

UNITEDsTA'rigsl PATENT oiriicei ALBERT HERMAN, oFoAKLANn, CALIFORNIA.; y

' GAR-DEN 4rooL. Y,

' Application filedV November 21, 1925. Serial No. 70,6130.

The general object of the present inventionv is to provide agarden tool adapted to be used as a lian-dcultivator in loosening the soil around and between closely arranged plants as, for instance, those growing in a flowerV bed, without causing damage to 'the plants by uprooting the same.

vThe above and other objects are accom#` plished by instrunientalities Vpointed out in the following specification. Y The invention is clearly defined inthe claim. j

A satisfactory embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming partei the specification and in which Y Figure 1 is a contracted perspective oi one embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary perspective or" The cultivator of thel present inventionl f comprises a handle portion which includes a shank' terminating at one end in a hand hold 6. The oppositeV end portion of the shank is reinforced by a ferrule 7 and is provided Witli al socket. The device Voi? the present invention comprises a shank, shown by dottedv lines in Figure 1 and yindicated by 8, which is forced into the socket in one end oi' the shank 5. The outer endof thel shank 8 is provided with a transverse base 9 vwhich' is relatively short and oblong and at its opposite end portions reduced'in thickness, one of such end portions being shown in Figure 3 and indicated by 10. The reduced end porf tions provide bearings forthe inner ends of a pair of tines 11 and v12, the rear faces of which are integrally provided with screw threaded studs 13 adapted to pass loosely through openings in the reduced end portions 10, one of such openings being shown in Figure 3 and indicated by 14. The opposed bearing surfaces of the tines and reduced end portions 1() 'are integrally provided with circular rows ofteetli, indicated by 15 andl.

in Figures 2-and8 respectively. The said. teeth 15 and' 16=are adapted to interit and therebyv interlock the loose lit of the stud 13 1 permitting angular adjustments of the tiiies,

Cit

and the teeth operating to lock the tines inV prevent detachment of the tines from the base, suitable nuts', one ofwhich is shown in Figure 1 and indicated by 16, are screwed upon the studs` 13 and operate to prevent dis- Vany of their adjusted positions. In order toN engagement olther teeth 15 and- 16. With this construction the'tines 11 and 12 may be adjusted laterally with respect to each other 'for any required distance accordingV to the character of the bed in which it is desired to yuse the tines.r In Figure 1 the full line posi-V tion of the parts shows the same adjusted for operating between plants disposed relatively far apart, while the dottedline position indicates an adjustment for workingthe ground between plants set relatively close together.

In the modified forinshown in Figure 4, the shank.17, a portion of which is shown, corresponds in construction to the shank 5.

The base 18 of the modified Jform is provided Y with a shank 19 fitting tightly into the socket of -shank 17, -as shown by dotted lines` in Figure 4. VThevbaseilS approximates vin dimensions tliebaset), and its opposite end portions are provided with longitudinally`v disposed slots 2O ofV rectangular contour. The slots 20 receive the non-cylindrical portions 21 of studs and permit sliding movement of the portions 21 therein. The portions 21 terminate in screw threaded extensions 22 Jfor the reception of clamp nuts 28 which operate to secure the studs in any of their adjusted positions. The studs are located at the upper ends of tines 24, correspondingin contour to the tines 11 and 12 and extending in the same general direction as'tlie handle, and as shown by thetines 11 and l2 of Figure 1.

WithV the construction shown in Figure 4, Y

the tines may be bodily adjusted laterally so Yso as to vary the intervening space and for the Vpurpose described in connection with the form shown in Figure 1 Yand when adjusted vasshown in Figure 4, the tines are clamped against displacement by turning the nuts 23 upon the screw threaded extensions 22 of the studs.

From the foregoing it is obvious that the tool of the prese-nt invention ideallj,T adapted for use in n garden and especially foi1 the cultivation of flower beds Whoie the use of a, Cultivaioi' of relatively great Width `would be l'nohibitive on account' of its linblhty to ixpioot the plants in 'looienxng "the soil theieeround. lt will be fm-ther observed that the device is; extremely simple in rhonstruetion und inexpensive to inzinnleeture.

Although l have shown und deeei'ibeil one embodiment of my invention, it i9 lo be understood that the seme is susceptible of various changes; and `I reeeljve the right Lo employ s'ueh as may come within the scope ol: the appended claim.

I elimini:

A gardenltool comprising amlmndle having a` transversely disposed cross bar at its lower end, said cross bui'jprOVidQd with lvongtudinel Slots, i '1Jai-of`ti1ies suplloxted by said eiose bei' und 11:1 ving studs extending through the i'esspeotive elette to permit sliding move nient of the times` endvnienns associated with the studs 'for damping The fines to sind eroes bm'. i

A LBERT HERMAN. 

